On November 7th, 2016, Hillary Clinton went to sleep with her dreams at her fingertips. At age 69, Hillary’s life’s work had finally built to a climactic conclusion; tomorrow, she would discover if she would finally become the President of the United States.
The road to presidential candidacy had most certainly not been a smooth one. In 1969, Hillary graduated from Wellesley College with the utmost honors of the being first student commencement speaker. She went on to attain her J.D. from Yale Law in 1973, and then served as a congressional legal counsel. In 1977, she founded Arkansas Advocates for Children, a non-profit organization that supports the overall well-being of all children in Arkansas. In 1978, Hillary attained the first female chair in the Legal Services Corporation. She acquired experience as the First Lady of Arkansas, and then the First Lady of the United States. She focused on helping children, tackling problems of health care, adoption and foster care safety. In 1995 at the United Nations conference, she famously stated that “human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights”. In 2000, she became the first female New York senator. She actively contributed to solving foreign and domestic issues after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In 2006, she was re-elected senator. She unsuccessfully ran for president in 2008, but became Barack Obama’s secretary of state. And finally in 2015, she announced her plans to run for presidency.
With over 30 years of experience in politics and government and an entire lifetime’s dedication to contributing to this country’s wellbeing, Hillary Clinton is one of the most qualified presidential candidates the United States has ever seen. Of course, she has been caught in mistakes and supported unsuccessful action plans, but nearly every politician and former president has made detrimental mistakes at one point or another.
For anyone who watched the presidential debates, Hillary Clinton swept all three. She remained poised, collected, and exhibited presidential qualities. She never lost her temper despite interruptions and nasty remarks. She informed the country of her intentions and outlined a clear plan of action. Of course, many may have disagreed with Hillary’s intended approach to the nation’s issues, but her composure was second to none.
So on November 7th 2016, the eve of the presidential election, Hillary Clinton went to sleep with the knowledge that she truly did everything she possibly could. Hillary Clinton had worked her entire life for this moment.
But on November 8th, 2016, Hillary Clinton watched her hard work and dedication turn to nothing as her country elected her opponent, Donald Trump, to the presidency of the United States.
Donald Trump is not a politician. Donald Trump will now be the first United States president without any military or governmental experience. Before 2015, it seemed Donald Trump had no interest in politics at all. It’s almost as if he woke up one day and suddenly decided, “Hey, I think I’ll run for president today.”
For anyone who’s ever had a dream, and that is most likely the majority of humanity, you know what its like to yearn for it. You know you would do anything in your power to achieve that dream, and you would dedicate your entire life to achieve that dream. Now imagine what it would feel like to have done everything you possibly could, to have used every possible opportunity you’ve ever had, to have dedicated your entire life’s work to that dream, to have it taken away by someone who has put in a thirtieth of the work.
Hillary Clinton’s resume was chalk full of valuable experience; Donald Trump’s was blank. And yet, he still got the job.
Its understandable that some may disagree with Hillary Clinton’s political stances, for the most part democrats will agree with democrats and the same goes for republicans. But may I remind you that Donald Trump is not even a politician.
Many also disagreed with Hillary’s morals, calling her a criminal and a liar. But may I remind you that Donald Trump has countless accusations of sexual assault and several charges of fraud.
Based on cold hard facts and leaving opinions aside, Hillary Clinton was by far the more qualified candidate. So why didn’t she get the job?
Hillary Clinton’s presidential loss represents the struggle of the American woman for nearly a hundred years. How many times has a qualified woman been denied a job position and a less qualified man has received it? How many times has a hardworking and dedicated woman been denied her dreams, despite her clear deserving of it?
On November 7th 2016, I, an eighteen year old young woman, went to sleep with hope in my heart. I attended my dream school, I worked hard, I earned what I got and I majored in something I’m truly good at. I’ve always thought that if I work hard, I’ll make it. If I put in the effort and stay focused, I’ll land that dream job. And I thought that the next day, I would contribute to the election of the country’s first female president. I had hope that gender discrimination was now obsolete; I had hope that by the time I reached full time employment, a gender wage gap would be virtually unheard of.
But on November 9th 2016, I woke up uncertain. Uncertain if future employers would judge me on my gender rather than my qualifications. Uncertain that my hard work would really amount to anything in the end. Not only had Hillary Clinton been the more qualified candidate and lost, but her opponent was one who has openly expressed disrespect for my entire gender. He believes that he has the right to tell me what I am and am not allowed to do with my body.
I’m not a politician and I’m not one to judge others on their political views. But on November 9th 2016, I watched a heartbroken woman concede the final hopes of her dream to a less deserving man. And it broke my heart.
